Lastly, these pictures are from West Point Island and Death Cove, on the west side of West Falkland.
West Point Island & Death Cove
This old cutter on the beach of West Point Island has seen better days. She was once the island’s only form of communication and was essential for transport, delivering wool to Stanley and returning with supplies.
Striated caracaras, known locally as Johnny Rooks, are a falcon that circle the skies. This one was aggressively trying to remove Peter’s hat. The recommended practice is to carry a staff to project above one’s head.
The falcons are less than welcome to the local farmers, as they attack and kill sheep – but are protected and cannot be killed.
The tidal race in the background is moving water through the channel at around 7 knots.
West Point Island has a small settlement and is run as a sheep farm.
The anchorage is typical kelp over rock and reef. This American yacht has the usual kelp ball around his Delta anchor, picked up after dragging.
This is Death Cove, alive with shags.
Death Cove is across the channel back on the mainland of West Falkland.
There are patches of beauty and life at the ridge top 400 meters high, looking over Death Cove with Byron Sound in the distance.
The Cove is named due to the old sealers’ graves at the seaside, reckoned as dating from around the turn of 17th and 18th centuries.
Johnny Rook perches on rock amongst patches of snow.
En route once again, via Crouching Lion and Rabbit Island rocks, the snow-cap of West Falkland in the far distance. Seabirds work above the water, searching out scraps rising from seals hunting in the depths.
These rocks are near Beaver Island, home of the Poncets.
Distinctive cliffs and castellated peaks march by. The Falklands and its landscape would soon be left behind permanently.
That’s it for the Falklands. But as always there’s more. From Stanley, Kiwi Roa embarked on a three month expedition out into the deep South Atlantic and back below the Antarctic Convergence, destination remote and inhospitable – but spectacular – South Georgia Island.